1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to some improvements in an electrostatic copying apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, the electrostatic copyigg apparatus has a photosensitive material-supporting means such as a rotating drum on the surface of which a photosensitive material is disposed, and around the photosensitive material-supporting means are provided a charging corona discharger corresponding to a charging zone, an illuminating lamp and an optical system in relation to an exposing zone, a developing device in relation to a development zone, a transfer corona discharger in relation to a transfer zone, and a cleaning device in relation to a cleaning zone. The supporting means is moved in a predetermined direction, and a copying process or cycle is performed as follows according to the movement of the supporting means. In the charging zone, a charge of a specified polarity is imparted to the surface of the photosensitive material on the supporting means by the action of the charging corona discharger, and then in the exposing zone, light (light reflected from a document) from the illuminating lamp is projected onto the surface of the photosensitive material via the optical system to form a latent electrostatic image corresponding to the document on the photosensitive material. In the development zone, toner particles in the developing device are applied to the surface of the photosensitive material to develop the latent electrostatic image formed on the photosensitive material to a toner image. In the transfer zone, the toner image on the photosensitive material is transferred by the action of the transfer corona discharger to a copying paper sheet conveyed through a paper conveying passage. In the cleaning zone, the toner particles remaining on the surface of the photosensitive material after transfer are removed by the action of the cleaning device.
However, in the conventional electrostatic copying apparatus, the photosensitive material-supporting means is moved always in a predetermined direction. The aforesaid elements (such as the charging corona discharger) must be disposed around the supporting means corresponding to the individual zones. This makes the apparatus complex and large-sized.
Furthermore, in order to make the conventional electrostatic copying apparatus simple in structure and small in size, various points to be improved exist with regard to (1) a slit member having a slit opening for regulating light projected from the illuminating lamp, (2) a supporting structure on which to mount the photosensitive material-supporting means, the charging corona discharger, the optical system, the development device, etc., (3) the developing device to be mounted on the supporting structure, (4) a paper feed table for hand insertion provided for feeding a copying paper sheet to a copying paper conveying passage, (5) a paper receiver for receiving copies, and (6) a mechanism for peeling a copying paper adhering intimately to the surface of the photosensitive material.